TITLE:
Prevalence and Outcome of Preterm Admissions at the Neonatal Unit of a Tertiary Health Centre in Southern Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Onyaye E. Kunle-Olowu, Oliemen Peterside, Oyedeji O. Adeyemi
KEYWORDS:
Preterm; Prevalence; Outcome; Gestational Age; Risk Factors; Morbidity; Mortality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.4 No.1,
March
14,
2014
ABSTRACT: Background: Preterm babies
have increased risk of morbidity and mortality which is inversely related to
both gestational age and birth weight. Most preterm births result from maternal
or foetal medical conditions.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and outcome of preterm admissions at
the Special Care Baby Unit of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, as
well as theirmorbidity pattern and risk factors for preterm birth. Methodology:
All preterm babies admitted from January 2010 to December 2012 were
retrospectively studied. Information obtained included gestational age at
birth, sex, risk factors for preterm birth, duration of admission, medical
problems during admission and outcome. Results: Preterm admissions constituted 24.0% of the total
admissions with a male to female ratio of 1.1:1. The commonest risk factor for
preterm birth was preterm rupture of foetal membranes (46.4%) followed by lack
of maternal antenatal care (35.5%) and multiple pregnancy (26.8%) respectively. The commonest medical conditions were
respiratory problems in 95 (68.8%) followed by jaundice in 94 (68.1%) and
sepsis in 54 (39.1%) of the patients. The case fatality rate was highest in the
patients with necrotizing enterocolitis and seizures (66.7%) followed by
respiratory problems (63.2%) and bleeding disorders (60.0%). The overall
survival rate was 65.9%. The
survival rate was significantly higher in the mild preterm category compared to
the very preterm and extremely preterm for birth categories χ2 = 29.24, p value = 0.000. Conclusion:
Preterms constituted a significant percentage of neonatal admissions at the
Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital with the case fatality being highest
among those with infections and respiratory problems. There is an urgent need for the establishment of a
neonatal intensive care unit with facilities for thorough evaluation and
management of preterm babies in order to improve survival rate of this
vulnerable group of patients.